Chapter 157 : Escape

The potency and destructive might of the lizard puppet backed by Ebizō had reached an unprecedented level. In a battlefield scenario, it could potentially take the combined efforts of seven or eight chunin teams to stand a chance against this formidable opponent.

Yet, beneath the mask of Takeshi, his eyes remained untouched by emotion. All sentiment seemed stripped away, replaced by an aura of cyan arrogance. His elevated Kusanagi sword emitted an even more intense radiance, accompanied by a subtle flash of lightning.

"Thunderbolt--!"

From the blade, a thousand birds painted in blue burst forth, creating a breathtaking display akin to myriad birds singing as they illuminated all directions. Instead of coalescing into a slash, they converged at the sword's tip. Subsequently, a beam of blue lightning shot up into the sky.

"Boom—!!"

The brilliance was so dazzling that it resembled the primordial shock of the cosmos. Even time seemed suspended at this moment.

Takeshi cast a dispassionate gaze downward, unfazed by the relentless glare below. However, the lizard puppets, gnashing their teeth and brandishing their claws, were suspended mid-air, frozen in their tracks.

The looks of terror and disbelief on the pale faces of Ebizō and Chiyo were etched in blue silhouettes by the resounding roar of clouds that answered the call of the sky.

"What is happening?"

Sand Shinobi and the Konoha Army, locked in fierce combat at a distance, halted their actions, gazing blankly toward the horizon.

Disregarding the dissuasion of the medical ninja, Tsushima parted the tent flap and stared at the nebulous sky.

Nightingale clenched her hands tightly, an internal dread coursing through her entire being.

This was the fear of an impending celestial reckoning.

The thunderbolt evoked by Takeshi, drawing upon the force of nature, had soared skyward, summoning forth the very thunder of nature itself.

There he stood, suspended high in the air, finger pointed toward the heavens, seemingly able to commune with the cosmos itself—the harbinger of celestial retribution.

"Kenjutsu : Secret Phantom Sword—"

Merging his fierce true essence into the void, the thunderous accumulation in the skies reached its zenith before crashing down with an earth-shaking boom!

"Crack—!"

The celestial power converged upon him, causing Takeshi's pale form to quiver uncontrollably. Hues of purple and blue lightning painted the heavens and earth, momentarily hushing time and space.

"Engage!"

Ebizō was drenched in sweat, pinning all his hopes on his mightiest puppet.

Yet, beneath the resplendent firmament, the formidable puppet's assault seemed pitiful and impotent.

After a brief suspension, the Kusanagi sword, infused with the thunderous might of the skies, blazed like a beam of brilliant light. Emitting a fierce whistling sound, it descended in a fraction of a second—

"Broken—unrestricted—!!"

The explosive surge of energy created a cacophonous shockwave that seemed to nullify all sound sources. The air was rent asunder as an overwhelming force rippled outward. The puppet, constructed with meticulous care, shattered.

First the angular head, then the fore, and ultimately, the body. The cascade of light traversed every inch, a gradual disintegration resembling melting snow exposed to molten lava.

The struggle of opposing attributes failed to diminish the potency of the thunder and lightning infused by Takeshi's true essence.

Despite Ebizō's fervent efforts, the puppet was akin to a smudge wiped clean from a pane of glass—disappearing as the sky resumed its clarity.

"No—!"

Ebizō's cry was one of despair, fury, and unwillingness. His proudest creation—the ultimate puppet—vanished with a single stroke.

"Boom—!!"

Finally, an explosion reverberated through the space—a clap of thunder. Even as the defeated puppet was propelled away by the force, it dealt a final blow to both Ebizō and Chiyo, sending them into a frenzied panic.

Once more, sand pillars erupted from the ground, and the lightning cocoon extended across the terrain, crackling with power. Takeshi, descending like a spectral figure, came to a rest in the air.

Their chakra reserves were depleted, and their bodies bore the burden of internal wounds. Ebizō, bereft of his paramount puppet, saw his strength significantly diminished. They stood at a disadvantage.

"Cough, cough."

A restrained cough escaped Takeshi's lips as he landed.

This technique was akin to Sasuke's "Kirin," leveraging the principles of natural lightning. Takeshi had blended it with his own swordsmanship, rendering it even more formidable.

However, channelling the thunder directly into his body exacted a significant toll. Following the fusion, Takeshi's constitution was pushed to its limits, and his true essence appeared sluggish. He had yet to unleash the technique's full potential.

Clearly, time was of the essence.

Chiyo remained silent, producing a scroll and tossing it to Ebizō. Amidst the smoke, five figures materialized—those among the ten members of Chikamatsu who were unaccounted for.

"Never did I anticipate a day where a junior would force me to this extent!"

Chiyo and Ebizō reunited at last. The ten puppets hung suspended, their former power a distant memory.

"Young man, declare your name."

Ebizō's tone was grave.

"My code name: The Black Snake," Takeshi replied nonchalantly.

With his current strength, taking down one of them was feasible, but a true kill proved challenging. His true essence and body were not sustainable, obliging him to face both simultaneously. This outcome was the most optimal.

Moreover, it was time to depart. Sand Shinobi seemed to be converging on their location once more.

"Damn it, I won't forget this!"

Observing Takeshi's impending departure, Chiyo seethed with fury. Utilizing Chikamatsu's ten members, nearly kage-level combat potential could be harnessed. A battle remained conceivable.

"Three Jewels Suction Crushing!"

Three puppets lunged in unison, two side by side, the third perched atop their shoulders. Countless talismans stirred to life, imbuing the constructs with enigmatic power. The result was a formidable vortex, drawing all into its maw, crushing and discarding the captives.

"Hmm?"

Amidst this forceful pull and rending, Takeshi lost control of his form, stripped from the merged state with the world. He struggled, harnessing both natural energy and physical strength to resist, yet was ensnared and prevented from escaping.

"Hahaha, I knew you were formidable!"

Chiyo's tone was sardonic. "While your combat power is extraordinary, in a contest of pure chakra, your advantage falters. This suggests that your true combat power doesn't match your chakra level. Otherwise, why rush to flee?"

"Hmph!"

Takeshi regarded them both with disdain. Escaping their clutches was hardly an insurmountable challenge.

"Prepare to pay for your actions!"

Ebizō bellowed, rekindling his murderous intent. The seven remaining puppets surged forth from every direction, enclosing Takeshi, immobilized and vulnerable.

"Secret Art: Snake Waterfall of the Netherworld!"

With a resounding roar, Takeshi summoned forth a torrent of energy, a cascade of serpents enveloping him. They coiled together to form an immense wave that blocked out the sky and sun.

Unified in energy form, the snakes radiated cyan light, biting the puppets with corporeal ferocity.

The prodigious suction scarcely affected these energy entities, incapable of impeding their advance. The physical assaults of Chikamatsu's ten members proved ineffectual against the resilient green serpents.

"I'll help you switch off your vacuum cleaner." Takeshi's voice was laced with a wry amusement. The countless green serpents began converging toward the whirlpool of wind.

"What?" Chiyo's expression soured.

"Secret Art: Wrist-Shattering Serpent Eruption!"

The green serpents were drawn into the vortex, crushed into a cyan orb, which abruptly erupted in brilliance, detonating in a cataclysmic blast.

"Bang—!!"

A series of detonations erupted from Takeshi's core, propelling all ten Chikamatsu members away. Even Chiyo was affected, stumbling to the ground.

"Cough, my strength can't match this technique's intensity."

Takeshi's internal frustration manifested as a frown. He leapt, soaring into the sky.

"For today, I'll bid you farewell for today!"

In a blaze of luminance, the Kusanagi sword expanded within the azure light. Takeshi balanced deftly upon the blade, his form morphing into a streak of blue, vanishing into the sky with the swiftness of thought.

Time was up.

"Damn it! We're not finished!"